Agric show official fired over Zanu-PF slogan

MANICALAND Provincial Affairs minister Mandiitawepi Chimene reportedly fired Manicaland Agricultural and Show Society (Mass) general manager, Patricia Ruwo for allegedly failing to chant a Zanu-PF slogan.

Ruwo, who is being represented by David Tandiri of Tandiri Law Chambers, made the allegations in a letter copied to the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights.

She said Chimene, who is Mass's patron, was furious when she refused an order to chant the ruling party's slogan.

"Following verbal allegations against the general manager (Ruwo) by Mass tenants, to which the general manager was not made to respond, an ad-hoc meeting, with no written agenda, was held at the minister of State's office, New Government Complex, on August 2, 2016,'' the letter read.

"It was in the last 10% of the meeting proceedings that the patron informed all present that the reason she had fired the general manager from working as her personal assistant was because she refused to chant the ruling party slogan.''

The letter further reads: "She (Chimene) then chanted the slogan and all present responded except the general manager. The patron was furious and started shouting: ‘Fire her! Fire her!' Thereafter, the board was asked by the patron to dismiss the general manager immediately without notice."

Ruwo is arguing that the general manager's position is a professional appointment and that all professionals must be apolitical to be objective in carrying out duty.

She said in her letter that a slogan was a political commitment, which separated a politician from a professional.

A letter of notice said Ruwo would not serve the three months' notice.

"You will be retrenched in accordance to section 12c of the Labour Amendment Act, 2015. So you will be given rather three months as cash in lieu of notice, meaning you will not serve the three months' notice, but rather you will be paid in cash,'' read the letter.

"The employer will pay you the following terminal benefits in accordance with the dictates of section 12C of the Labour Amendment Act, 2015: Three months' notice pay $2 100, compensation for the loss of employment (two weeks' salary per every year served $437,50, (and) leave pay $875.''

Chimene could not be reached for comment yesterday.